Emery County (Utah); Swinging Bridge; Vacation; Geary, Elmo; San Rafael Swell; San Rafael Bridge
Elmo Geary and some college friends took a vacation trip to the San Rafael Swell and Utah National Parks and The Grand Canyon in 1936. One friend is sitting on top of a support of the San Rafael Bridge during construction of the bridge. The bridge...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Easter; Horse and wagons
Elmo Geary and high school friends went to the San Rafael Swell for Easter weekend in a wagon pulled by horses. Another group of teenagers went to the same area in an automobile and ran off the road and crashed. No one was hurt badly, but the event...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Eastering; Horse and Wagons; Geary, Elmo, Easter
A closeup of image0-275; Elmo Geary and his teenage friends went to the San Rafael Swell in horse drawn wagons in 1929 over Easter Weekend. This tradition of Emery County residents spending Easter on the San Rafael Swell or "Desert" as it is...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Unpaved roads; Geary, Elmo
San Rafael Swell with wheel tracks in an unpaved area where deep ruts can be seen. Travel could be difficult in the blue clay soil of Emery County. Journals from that day say that in wet conditions, the mud would stick thickly to the wheels.
Emery County (Utah) Archives; Window Blind Peak; San Rafael Swell; Geary, Elmo; Castle Valley
Window Blind Peak or (Castle) is one of the most identifiable formations in the San Rafael Swell. Elmo Geary and friends were there for Easter weekend in 1929. Spending Easter weekend on the desert as locals call it, has been a tradition for over...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Little Grand Canyon; Geology; Castle Valley; San Rafael River, Grimes, Ben
The Little Grand Canyon on the San Rafael Swell is seen best from The Wedge Lookout. The San Rafael Swell is an anticline, or a geological uplift, that originally looked like an oval bowl turned upside down. Over time it has been carved into...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Little Grand Canyon; Geology; Window Blind Peak; San Rafael River; Grimes, Ben
The Little Grand Canyon on the San Rafael Swell is seen best from The Wedge Lookout. Window Blink Peak can be seen on the far right horizon. The San Rafael Swell is an anticline, or a geological uplift, that originally looked like an oval bowl...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Little Grand Canyon; Geology; Grimes, Ben
The Little Grand Canyon seen in panorama is located in the San Rafael Swell and is seen best from The Wedge Lookout. The San Rafael Swell is a geologic uplift that has eroded in spectacular ways through time leaving an exposed geologic record of...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Dinosaurs; Allosaurus; Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry; Museum of the San Rafael
This allosaurus skull is on display at the Museum of the San Rafael in Castle Dale. The nearby Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry is one of the greatest dinosaur fossil sources in the world. However it is still a puzzle how they got there. It appears...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Geology; Paleontology; Dinosaurs
Dinosaur tracks can be seen in many different places in the San Rafael Swell. These raised tracks show a walking pattern of a three toed dinosaur. Dinosaur fossils and tracks from the Jurassic Period are abundant in the Swell and surrounding areas....
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Geology; Pateontolgy; Allosaurus Footprint; Swasey, Monte
The most distinct dinosaur track known in the San Rafael Swell was made by a small or young Allosaurus. Dinosaur fossils from the Jurassic Period are abundant in the San Rafael Swell and surrounding areas.
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Geology; Paleontolgy; Dinosaurs; Fossils
Complete skeleton of a dinosaur is embedded in sandstone of the San Rafael Swell. Bones of creatures who once roamed this area are preserved through the fossilization process. Although the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry is one of the greatest...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Recreation; San Rafael River; River Running; Nielson, James
James Nielson and his brother were the first (as far as they know) to run the San Rafael River through the Wedge area. This photograph was taken from their homemade raft which they used for their first run in 1964. James Nielson loves the river...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Recreation; San Rafael River; River Running; Nielson, James
James Nielson (right) and his younger brother Craig on their first trip down the San Rafael River in 1964 as teenagers. They made the raft from lumber scraps and barbed wire and took automobile tires as life preservers. They navigated their way...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Recreation; San Rafael Rafael Swell; San Rafael River; Nielson, James
James Nielson and his brother Craig ran the San Rafael River on a homemade raft in 1964. The next year they made a canoe out of fiberglass. In this photograph, it doubles as shelter during a rainstorm on their journey.
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Recreation; San Rafael River; River Running; Nielson, James; Nielson, Craig; Funk, Bruce
James Nielson and his brother Craig began running the river in 1964 on a homemade raft. The next year they built a canoe out of fiberglass. Craig Nielson is pictured here with Bruce Funk, a brother-in-law, on their river trip in 1965.
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Recreation; Rock Climbing; Swasey, Royal; Swasey, Glen
Royal Swasey and son Glen climbed to the top of this huge rock formation. Rock Climbing and Bouldering are favorite sports on the San Rafael today. This picture was taken in the 1930s.
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Recreation; Eastering; Nixon, Grace; Johansen, Eugene
Eugene Johansen and Grace Nixon on the San Rafael Swell in 1933 while they were dating. They married and continued to live in Castle Dale where they both taught high school for many years. This photograph was taken at Easter weekend in 1933....
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Recreation; Eastering; Richards, Drew; Guns
Drew Richards (left) with a friend pretending to duel on the San Rafael Swell, Easter weekend 1928. Spending Easter weekend on the Swell or the desert, as locals call it, has been a tradition since the early 1900s and still continues today. It is...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Recreation; Eastering; Richards, Drew
Drew Richards' friends, Mass and Jetty, on the San Rafael Swell at Easter weekend with Drew and Addie Wakefield. Spending Easter weekend on the Swell or "the desert," as locals call it, has been a tradition since early 1900s and still continues...